Workbench #3: A workbench is never done...

These are photos that show the progression I went through trying to get the vises installed on my workbench. To make a short story long, I had been planning this workbench build in my head for a few years. I got the wood for free (yeah!) and have been trying to build the workbench for virtually nothing. It is a hybrid bench that is blasphemous on many levels: too many dog holes to accommodate my steam bending fancies, a router plate cut into the top, moxon-type vises on the face and tail end, sissy hardware connecting HUGE mortises, etc…but I love it.

I took the idea of mounting the vise this way from Mike Dunbar’s bench in a past FWW article. After cutting the huge wooden nuts and installing them, they looked terrible, so I decided to dress them up a bit with some walnut facing. I would have gone with Paul’s wedge vise but had already purchased the tap and die.

For those of you thinking this is cool- run the other way! buy the router kit to make huge threads or get a metal vise, these baby’s are a work out!

Looks very good so far Phillip. I don’t think you will regret going with the wooden screws. I have a couple on my old workbench which I bought new about 30 years ago and everything still works well and less handle turning with the big screws. Keep up the good work.